Planets TonightVenus in 2009: brightness, position and events
Brightest-4.8around Mar 1
Closest (in table)0.285 au43 million km
Farthest1.694 au
Events this year3
Brightest last year-4.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-15 06:23 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -4.5 | 0.685 | Aquarius | 47.1° |
| 2009-03-28 04:23 | Inferior conjunction | -4.2 | 0.281 | Pisces | 8.2° |
| 2009-06-06 05:50 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -4.4 | 0.701 | Pisces | 45.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -4.4 | 0.787 | Aquarius | 47° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | -4.5 | 0.684 | Aquarius | 47° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | -4.7 | 0.558 | Pisces | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | -4.8 | 0.458 | Pisces | 42° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | -4.8 | 0.369 | Pisces | 35° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | -4.5 | 0.303 | Pisces | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | -4.2 | 0.285 | Pisces | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -4.6 | 0.330 | Pisces | 26° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -4.8 | 0.425 | Pisces | 38° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -4.7 | 0.528 | Pisces | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -4.5 | 0.663 | Pisces | 46° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -4.3 | 0.775 | Aries | 46° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -4.2 | 0.902 | Taurus | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -4.1 | 1.009 | Taurus | 42° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -4.0 | 1.132 | Orion | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -4.0 | 1.226 | Gemini | 36° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -3.9 | 1.330 | Cancer | 32° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -3.9 | 1.407 | Leo | 29° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -3.9 | 1.485 | Leo | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -3.9 | 1.543 | Virgo | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -3.9 | 1.602 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -3.9 | 1.640 | Libra | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -3.9 | 1.674 | Libra | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -3.9 | 1.694 | Ophiuchus | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Venus is brightest around March 2009 (magnitude -4.8); 3 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.